Dutch parliament to investigate Prism allegations

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch parliament will investigate whether alleged eavesdropping by the United States extended to the Netherlands, after a majority of lawmakers indicated on Wednesday they would back a full parliamentary inquiry.

Four parties, including both members of the governing coalition, supported an investigation into whether security services in the staunchly pro-U.S. Netherlands had made use of illegally gathered material, media reported.

"We want to know the scope of this scandal here in the Netherlands," Gerard Schouw, an opposition liberal member of parliament, said on Dutch public radio.

Details of a wide-ranging spying program called Prism were leaked by former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, raising a global furor.